Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian doctor in al-Quds

Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian doctor in the Old City of the occupied East al-Quds, and injured scores of people elsewhere in the occupied West Bank during protests in support of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

WAFA news agency cited eyewitnesses as saying that Israeli troops opened fire at Hazem al-Golani at one of the gates to al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, and banned Palestinians from approaching him.

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a brief statement that Golani succumbed to his injuries at Hadassah Medical Center.

Israeli official said the Israeli forces shot dead the man after he allegedly attempted to stab Israeli police officers in the Old City, which had earlier seen protests in support of the six inmates who broke out of a maximum-security Israeli jail earlier this week.

In the early hours of Monday, Zakaria Zubeidi, a former commander of the Palestinian resistance group al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade in Jenin, and five members of the Islamic Jihad group managed to tunnel their way out through their cell’s drainage system to escape from the Gilboa jail.

It was the biggest Palestinian escape from an Israeli prison since 1987, when six members of the Islamic Jihad broke out of a heavily-guarded jail in Gaza.

After the recent escape of the six inmates, Israel launched a violent crackdown on the Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinians took to the streets of the occupied West Bank on Friday to express their solidarity with the prisoners.

Human rights groups appeal for protection of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails

A number of human rights groups call on the international community to prevent Israel from violating the basic rights of Palestinian prisoners.

To the east of Qalqilya city, Israeli forces dispersed protests which were held in support of Palestinian prisoners and to condemn the Israeli authorities’ crackdown on them in Kafr Qaddum and Azzun.

Four Palestinians were hit by rubber bullets during the clashes, while dozens of others suffered breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli troops.

Dozens of others were also injured when Israeli forces attacked a similar peaceful protest in al-Khalil (Hebron), using tear gas and rubber bullets.

In Tulkarm, Palestinians staged a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinian captives and to condemn Israel’s crackdown on prisoners. The demonstrators also urged rights groups and the international community to exert pressure on Tel Aviv to save the lives of the prisoners and free them.

They also hailed the six inmates who managed to escape.

Jenin also saw similar protests. Hundreds of Palestinians took part in pro-prisoners rallies in the towns of Arraba and Yabed.

Carrying the Palestinian flag and photos of the captives, the protesters chanted slogans against the Israeli regime and held it fully responsible for the lives of the prisoners who managed to flee.

Over 170 Palestinians injured in Nablus

Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said 174 Palestinians were injured during clashes that erupted with Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank province of Nablus, including Beita, Usrin, Hawara and Beit Dajan, on Friday.

The injured included four who were hit by rubber bullets and 30 others who suffered breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces at Hawara checkpoint.

Two others were wounded by rubber bullets in Usrin, and a similar injury was reported in Beit Dajan.

The wounded people also included 18 who were hit by rubber bullets, including a journalist, and 97 others who suffered breathing difficulties from tear gas in Beita.

Beita and Beit Dajan see weekly anti-settlement protests on Friday.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on occupied land. The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

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